People have come to depend on small, highly portable computing devices such as Pocket-sized personal computing devices. In general, various types of users have found these devices useful for things ranging from running fairly complex programs, such as to browse the web or access email, to simpler tasks such as storing contact information, keeping a schedule, and so forth. These devices thus hold a lot of information about users and other people they know.
However, when it comes to an emergency, these devices have a number of drawbacks, essentially because they are not engineered to expose needed emergency information in a comprehensive, and simple manner. For example, in an emergency situation, people are expected to access a significant amount of information from different sources, such as a phone number for road-side assistance, their vehicle's identification (VIN) number, insurance information, and licensing data. Other emergencies require other types of data, such as a doctor's telephone number, a credit card number, and so on. While even the most conscientious users may take the time to put such information in a computer system, they may not be able to pull the information together when needed.
In sum, what is needed is a way to provide users with access to needed emergency information. This should be simple from the user's perspective, so that even very emotional users can find what is needed in a straightforward, yet comprehensive process.